4.9
10 Reviews
Don’t get us wrong, we’re all for racing. Grand Tour top steps, Classic’s Monuments—they’re…
The riders have spoken! For the fifth year in a row, Specialized has been crowned the #1 “Drop Bar Bike Brand” in the prestigious Gran Fondo Best Brand Awards for 2023. We innovate for riders, and year after year, our bikes are loved by the most discerning riders. Thank you!
Meditating on the breathing and swaying of a bike under load in the lab, lead engineer Peter Denk had an epiphany—true performance lies in the shape, not the material. After a few hundred thousand supercomputer simulations, we knew we were right.
At just 585 grams, the Aethos frame may be too light for the UCI rule book, but when the pros get a chance to just ride, it’s the Aethos they reach for. Ride along with the World Champ as he takes us up his favorite climb on a very special Aethos.
A bike built for the pure love of riding with the latest electronic 12-spd group from Shimano? Win, win. Faster, more precise shifting with an ultra-efficient drivetrain and a wireless cockpit to help you make the most of your new Aethos.
Don’t get us wrong, we’re all for racing. Grand Tour top steps, Classic’s Monuments—they’re in our DNA. But sometimes riding simply to ride, riding for the love of riding, is just what we need. And this is what the Aethos lives for. Sure, it’s given nothing up to performance, and happens to be the lightest frame out there, but with no compromise to style. Aethos: Billions of calculations in the pursuit of one thing—the perfect ride.
Top off the world’s lightest frame with Shimano’s legendary Dura-Ace Di2 groupset and Roval’s featherweight Alpinist wheels and you’re left with a perfectly balanced top-tier ride that gives up nothing in the name of performance.
The Aethos frame has been designed with the perfect combination of ultimate ride feel, light weight, and style—from accelerating up steep pitches and descending technical descents, to all-day saddle comfort on even the longest coffee rides, the Aethos hits the mark. But how, you ask? By reinventing the traditional road shape found on bikes of the past, we’ve subtly altered these shapes to deliver massive gains in stiffness and balance, all without affecting weight or durability. Pair that with an entirely new layup and process that we’ve perfected over multiple decades and you have the lightest frame out there (585 grams, S-Works, size 56cm). The Aethos is more than just a new bike, it’s the first of a new breed.
The Aethos frame has been designed with the perfect combination of ultimate ride feel, light weight, and style—from accelerating up steep pitches and descending technical descents, to all-day saddle comfort on even the longest coffee rides, the Aethos hits the mark. But how, you ask? By reinventing the traditional road shape found on bikes of the past, we’ve subtly altered these shapes to deliver massive gains in stiffness and balance, all without affecting weight or durability. Pair that with an entirely new layup and process that we’ve perfected over multiple decades and you have the lightest frame out there (585 grams, S-Works, size 56cm). The Aethos is more than just a new bike, it’s the first of a new breed.
A featherweight frame is useless without confidence-inspiring ride characteristics, which is why we’ve developed the Aethos to have the perfect balance of front and rear stiffness combined with exceptional ride quality. By studying the flexing and breathing of carbon fiber, we were able to discover groundbreaking findings about how forces flow through frames. Just a few pedal strokes and you’ll realize this sublime ride sets a new standard.
A featherweight frame is useless without confidence-inspiring ride characteristics, which is why we’ve developed the Aethos to have the perfect balance of front and rear stiffness combined with exceptional ride quality. By studying the flexing and breathing of carbon fiber, we were able to discover groundbreaking findings about how forces flow through frames. Just a few pedal strokes and you’ll realize this sublime ride sets a new standard.
Every detail, from the derailleur hangers to the fork expander plug have been designed with style, weight, and durability in mind. We’ve also spec’d it with Roval’s all-new Alpinist carbon seatpost and wheels, further saving weight and improving ride characteristics. Everything in pursuit for the perfect ride.
Frame
S-Works Aethos FACT 12r Carbon, Rider First Engineered™, Threaded BB, Electronic cable routing only, 12x142mm thru-axle, flat-mount disc
Fork
S-Works FACT Carbon, 12x100mm thru-axle, flat-mount disc
Front Brake
Shimano Dura-Ace R9270, hydraulic disc
Rear Brake
Shimano Dura-Ace R9270, hydraulic disc
Shift Levers
Shimano Dura-Ace R9270, hydraulic disc
Front Derailleur
Shimano Dura-Ace R9250, braze-on
Rear Derailleur
Shimano Dura-Ace R9250, 12-speed
Cassette
Shimano Dura-Ace, 12-speed, 11-30t
Chain
Shimano XTR M9100, 12-speed w/ quick link
Crankset
Shimano Dura-Ace R9200, HollowTech II, 12-speed with 4iiii Precision Pro dual-sided powermeter
Chainrings
52/36T
Bottom Bracket
Shimano Dura-Ace, BB-R9100
Front Wheel
Roval Alpinist CLX, 21mm internal width carbon rim, 33mm depth, Win Tunnel Engineered, Roval AFD hub, 21h, DT Swiss Aerolite spokes
Front Tire
Turbo Cotton, 320 TPI, 700x26mm
Rear Tire
Turbo Cotton, 320 TPI, 700x26mm
Rear Wheel
Roval Alpinist CLX, 21mm internal width carbon rim, 33mm depth, Win Tunnel Engineered, Roval AFD hub, 24h, DT Swiss Aerolite spokes
Inner Tubes
Turbo Ultralight, 48mm Presta valve
Stem
S-Works SL, alloy, titanium bolts, 6-degree rise
Handlebars
S-Works Short & Shallow, 125mm Drop, 75mm Reach w/Di2 Hole
Tape
Supacaz Super Sticky Kush
Saddle
Body Geometry S-Works Power, carbon fiber rails, carbon fiber base
SeatPost
Roval Alpinist Carbon Seatpost
Seat Binder
Specialized Alloy, 30.0mm, titanium bolt
* Weights based on production painted frames as pictured. Actual weights will vary based on colorway, frame size, and component variation. Specifications are subject to change without notice.
| 49 | 52 | 54 | 56 | 58 | 61 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crank Length | 165mm | 170mm | 172.5mm | 172.5mm | 175mm | 175mm |
| Handlebar Width | 380mm | 400mm | 420mm | 420mm | 440mm | 440mm |
| Stem Length | 80mm | 90mm | 100mm | 100mm | 110mm | 110mm |
| Saddle Width | 155mm | 155mm | 143mm | 143mm | 143mm | 143mm |
| Seatpost Length | 300mm | 300mm | 360mm | 360mm | 360mm | 360mm |
| Stack | 514mm | 527mm | 544mm | 565mm | 591mm | 612mm |
| Reach | 375mm | 380mm | 384mm | 395mm | 402mm | 408mm |
| Head Tube Length | 109mm | 120mm | 137mm | 157mm | 184mm | 204mm |
| Head Tube Angle | 71.75° | 72.5° | 73° | 73.5° | 73.5° | 74° |
| BB Height | 266mm | 266mm | 268mm | 268mm | 268mm | 268mm |
| BB Drop | 74mm | 74mm | 72mm | 72mm | 72mm | 72mm |
| Trail | 63mm | 58mm | 58mm | 55mm | 55mm | 52mm |
| Fork Length, Full | 369mm | 369mm | 369mm | 369mm | 369mm | 369mm |
| Fork Rake/Offset | 47mm | 47mm | 44mm | 44mm | 44mm | 44mm |
| Front Center | 574mm | 577mm | 579mm | 591mm | 606mm | 613mm |
| Chainstay Length | 410mm | 410mm | 410mm | 410mm | 410mm | 410mm |
| Wheelbase | 973mm | 975mm | 978mm | 991mm | 1005mm | 1012mm |
| Top Tube Length, Horizontal | 508mm | 531mm | 540mm | 562mm | 577mm | 595mm |
| Bike Standover Height | 705mm | 728mm | 748mm | 769mm | 796mm | 824mm |
| Seat Tube Length | 431mm | 462mm | 481mm | 504mm | 532mm | 567mm |
| Seat Tube Angle | 75.5° | 74° | 74° | 73.5° | 73.5° | 73° |
4.9
10 Reviews